Glenn Northcutt leads Alabama's 94th State Amateur Championship

KILLEN -- Glenn North­cutt hadn't played in a golf tournament in 10 months. If he's rusty, the rest of the State Amateur field is in trouble.

Hunter Hamrick, shown in a 2009 tournament in Vestavia Hills, is the defending State Amateur champion. He is two shots back headed into Saturday's third round. (The Birmingham News / Linda Stelter)

Northcutt leads the 94th State Amateur Champi­onship at Turtle Point Yacht and Country Club after rounds of 70-69--139.

The former Auburn player last competed in the 2009 U.S. Amateur.

"I had one year left in school, so I wanted to enjoy college."

Three players are tied for second, two shots back. They are Steve Hudson, Trey Del Greco and defend­ing champion Hunter Ham­rick. Hudson, 52, had the low round of the day with a 4-under-par 68 and he joins Del Greco (71-70) and Hamrick (70-71) on 141.

Hudson, who has never won an Alabama Golf Asso­ciation championship, re­called playing in the 1976 State Amateur at Turtle Point as a high school senior and shooting a second­round 67 to move into con­tention.

"History almost repeated itself 34 years later," Hud­son said.

Hudson attended Ala­bama and is very close friends with football coach Nick Saban, who has ad­vised him not about his golf game, but about his mental approach on the golf course.

Hamrick noted that he continued to struggle with his golf swing but was pleased to remain in the mix.

"I've scrambled very well the first two rounds. I'm not hitting it good enough to really get it going. I do think if I do (start hitting it better), a low round is out there."

Del Greco played for Spain Park High School and has just concluded his sec­ond year at Vanderbilt.

"I've left some (strokes) out there the first two rounds, but I hope to keep giving myself chances and some will fall in."

Last semester was the first semester that he firmly es­tablished himself on Van­dy's team, as he played reg­ularly for the Commodores.

Overnight leader Jake Greer shot 78 to fall six shots off the pace.

Two players, Vic Kyatt III of Hoover and David Beard of Huntsville both had holes-­in-one on No. 8. Kyatt hit an 8-iron and Beard a 7-iron on the 157-yard hole.